It's dark and I'm on my balcony in Abtenau. The sky is clear and I can count the stars. That promises to be a beautiful day tomorrow. There is a lot of activity on the slopes. A new one is being built, so there are several snow cannons to blow. Men on big and small snow sliding machines go up and down, back and forth, but just what you want, on the mountain. I enjoy the activity. Men with lights on their heads and some with dogs walk with skis down, up the mountain. At some point, they disappear between the trees. Tomorrow when I take the cable car up, see what's there to do in those bushes...

The weather is beautiful when I get up, but I don't feel fully fit and decide to stay in the hotel for another day and to confess to the surroundings. Starting in the center. Well, um, more village core... barely a center. Along the main road I find shops. A clothing store or 3, jeweler, a shop with handmade ceramics, jewelry and more beautiful but closed, and of course a sports shop. Which, incidentally, is built up in many villages in Austria. They are closed, because between 12:00 and 15:00 it is siesta. Don't ask me why. I can imagine something about the warm countries, but not Austria. As well as wandering through Abtenau and surroundings, to end up in my bed at the end of the afternoon, hoping I'll be fresh the next day.

At 19.00 I am somewhat refurbished next to my bed and head towards the dining room. You can hardly call it a restaurant, because as already mentioned, it is not a cozy hotel.

I dive on the delicious vegetable dish and patatas and in the meantime I struggle to upload the files or download them between my phone and tablet.... Yes, this day has started to shine the light on the photos in dropbox and export, so I can blog with photos.

Finally get to work with my blog. And so I went into the night with satisfaction, with the prospect of climbing a mountain the next day by cable car.

And as fresh as a hookie I am on day 3 (first night I don't count) at the checkout to exchange my free ticket for a ride upstairs. Is that branch no longer valid? I got it again. Then pay, because if it's in my head, it's not in my butt, because upstairs I will.

And the images say enough, right? No explanation needed? Ask me if you don't.

I don't think the ski season has started yet, because it is quite quiet. I stand alone on the mountain and enjoy the silence. So quiet... so good for my ears... As well as to my knees in the snow. Now I had learned from the previous day and had put on a thermolegging and ditto socks, but I still got cold toes. Furthermore, it was very easy for me that cold. Well dressed. Next walk, put on a pair of extra socks.

Once back in the car, I was, and rarely happens to me, tremendously indecisive which direction I would go. And so just started the car and go driving. I had Google maps on Obertraun, because I had seen a nice hotel there.

On the way I would drive past Hallstatt and maybe stop. But once I got there, I was delighted, despite the fact that there was little tourism, I decided to drive on to the other side of the lake with a view of Hallstatt. Now I have to tell you what's so special about Hallstatt. It is a picturesque village on the Hallstattersee and partly built against a mountain (like many villages by the way). The lovely coloured houses and alleys make this village unique and attracts loads of tourists, especially Chinese. In China there is a copy of this village. Strange guys, the Chinese.

Below is a photo of the Internet.

Anyway, I drove through it, no desire to park (and pay mega) and drove around the lake to Obertraun. It's probably a nice village too, but I got depressed and after some ponders, because it started to run at five and then it gets dark soon, I still drove on. Again, no idea where.

In that respect, an attractive hotel can suddenly give me a destination. And so is this time. I saw an apartment in the house saying you can ski to the door. I haven't had enough of that, so I went there. Neatly in time for dark (16.45 hours) and see a dark house. Called the bell, and no hearing. Just panic in my head, because I didn't look for an alternative.

And luckily, my common sense still did and the website of this property looked up for a phone number.

Telephoning is already a thing in Dutch, let alone in German, but do not let me be discouraged by that little scary devil on my shoulder and luckily the master of the house understood me and was at the door within 5 minutes. I understood that, by the way...

And then I come into an apartment and lick your fingers. For a little while compared to past accommodations. I enter my 'own' hall, with on the left a door to the living room with kitchenette and balcony and straight on the spacious bedroom with bathroom. I can move in and live here, just like my neighbor, who probably comes from Poland and works and lives here.

And then the view! And then it already shines, and still beautiful. That promises something when I wake up tomorrow. Thauplitz, it's already a pleasure!

#oostenrijk